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Outdrive1

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So....Bartlett is my new local lake and the marina looks good, slips available but not cheap although brand new, staff were very pleasant, storage available and get this.....no quagga in he water. Asked why not and they told me that it is a mystery but they dont. Noticed the water had a kind of greenish tint to it. Used to Mohave which is very very clear water. Dont even need a pass if you have a slip as you are already in the park. Don't know how much the pass is though.

So....whats the pros and cons? Seems like a great locals lake.

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

It's tiny. You can cover it in a matter of minutes.

I've seen Mountain Lions, lots of rattle snakes, even seen them swimming in the water, and tarantulas.

Pros are it has some sandy beaches. The landscape is pretty, the lake is usually pretty quiet. We used to ride stand ups there and camp every weekend back in the day. It's never choppy or too crowded. Lots of fisherman types.
 

DILLIGAF

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It's tiny. You can cover it in a matter of minutes.

I've seen Mountain Lions, lots of rattle snakes, even seen them swimming in the water, and tarantulas.

Pros are it has some sandy beaches. The landscape is pretty, the lake is usually pretty quiet. We used to ride stand ups there and camp every weekend back in the day. It's never choppy or too crowded. Lots of fisherman types.

I will be using the SouthBay until it sells so not worried about the lake size. Just get out on the water and chill. Dont like the snake dealio though. The new house is up in Tonto Hills so it is very close by.

What about the green tint to the water? Any rumors or opinion on the lack of quaggas even though Pleasant has them? They are both fed by the same water source, right?
 

DILLIGAF

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Seems like a cool lake for just chillin out and a slow pace
 

Outdrive1

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I will be using the SouthBay until it sells so not worried about the lake size. Just get out on the water and chill. Dont like the snake dealio though. The new house is up in Tonto Hills so it is very close by.

What about the green tint to the water? Any rumors or opinion on the lack of quaggas even though Pleasant has them? They are both fed by the same water source, right?

No. Lake Pleasant is CAP water( comes from Havasu). Bartlett is from water run off in Az, not Colorado River water.

Green tint is probably algae.
 
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DILLIGAF

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No. Lake Pleasant is CAP water( comes from Havasu). Bartlett is from water run off in Az, not Colorado River water.

Green tiny is probably algae.

Ahhhh....got ya. Thought they were same water.
 

Motor Boater

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Bartletts cool but it is small so it gets old after a while. Fun lake lake to chill and run the boat a little. when you get tired of it just hit pleasant or Saguaro. I have never personally had any issues with snakes etc but I know they are out there. Nothing t be too worried about. Its not an easy tow down that road with a big boat either, lots of hills, twists and turns. I know some guys that have smoked axles not being mindful of their trailer brakes.
 

460

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Bartlett sucks.

:)

With that being said let me know the next time you go out.
 

cakemoto

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I went with cave and the az performance boaters few weeks back.I like the lake,saguaro is ok but its too too local everyone and there grandma is there.Its fine if you just beach the boat,but i like skiing and stuff.I have only lived here for 6 months and never hear anything good about pleasant.I also have never been to any other lakes yet.
 

Skinny Tire AH

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Hi D,

Bartlett is fed by the Verde River. Verde=Green. Don't know why, it just is. I like Bartlett, usually pretty quiet (if that's what you like) water is pretty cold. Smallish but good vibe. If you like to fish, go up the river and spend the night and fish using live bluegills. There are MONSTROUS Flathead catfish in there. 50-60 pounds. For you, living in TH, a ride down there for just and hour or two is not out of line.

Steve
 

Skinny Tire AH

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Bartletts cool but it is small so it gets old after a while. Fun lake lake to chill and run the boat a little. when you get tired of it just hit pleasant or Saguaro. I have never personally had any issues with snakes etc but I know they are out there. Nothing t be too worried about. Its not an easy tow down that road with a big boat either, lots of hills, twists and turns. I know some guys that have smoked axles not being mindful of their trailer brakes.

You think the road sucks now.....when I was a kid, my Pop used to take us down there. The road looked like a war zone, Tires, wheels, fenders, fender boards. That road was so washboarded, it took hours to get down the last 10 mile of dirt. Good times!!
 

Fourspeednup

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Bartlett is my favorite local lake. Was there 1-2 times a week to ride when I had the roll bar boat. Marina is run by a great family. As others have mentioned, the tow through the hills is a brake eater but worth it, keeps most of the idiots away.

The water is way up at the moment so private beaches may be limited. You'll need to bring your own party but we've had some GOOD times way in the back with the right group.

Nature: Only saw 1 rattlesnake on a beach but look out for the bluegill, they bite!
 

Paratesties

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With the water level up you probably don't have to worry as much,But watch for unmarked rocks/reef. I Hit a large unmarked rock and brought the boat to a complete stop at 40ish.
 

Stainless

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You think the road sucks now.....when I was a kid, my Pop used to take us down there. The road looked like a war zone, Tires, wheels, fenders, fender boards. That road was so washboarded, it took hours to get down the last 10 mile of dirt. Good times!!

Is it paved now? Went there once when it was dirt.
 

AZKC

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Doesn't the lake level vary alot because its fed by run off. I thought it gets really small in the Summer.

Take Hwy 88 out of Apache Junction, North. Nice lake up that way ;) Just be aware of a place called Fish Creek Hill. :eek
 

DILLIGAF

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Doesn't the lake level vary alot because its fed by run off. I thought it gets really small in the Summer.

Take Hwy 88 out of Apache Junction, North. Nice lake up that way ;) Just be aware of a place called Fish Creek Hill. :eek

What lake is that? Whats up with Fish Creek? Lol
 

2strokesmoke

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What lake is that? Whats up with Fish Creek? Lol

Apache Lake, and google fish creek hill. I visited some friends and the drug their 26 foot boat down that hill. We met up with a motor home going up hill and us going downhill. With no room to pass. That motor home had to back up so far. It's a steep dirt road and very narrow

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mesquito_creek

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I will be using the SouthBay until it sells so not worried about the lake size. Just get out on the water and chill. Dont like the snake dealio though. The new house is up in Tonto Hills so it is very close by.

What about the green tint to the water? Any rumors or opinion on the lack of quaggas even though Pleasant has them? They are both fed by the same water source, right?

you don't like the snake dealio but bought a house in tonto hills? Snakes are gonna be common place at both locations... Minor you will adapt...
 

DILLIGAF

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you don't like the snake dealio but bought a house in tonto hills? Snakes are gonna be common place at both locations... Minor you will adapt...

Dont like em at all but what can you do but keep an eye out. The views are insane so yes, I will adapt. Moving from another AZ house so all is good.
 

steamin rice

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Bartlett is a good lake I used to go there all the time when I was in high school. It has good beaches and isn't as crowded as Saguaro. Where you live it makes perfect sense to go there. I usually go to Pleasant because it is a better setup for bigger boats, but I think that Bartlett is a better lake than Pleasant.
 

Tommy Gun Images

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No. Lake Pleasant is CAP water( comes from Havasu). Bartlett is from water run off in Az, not Colorado River water.

Green tint is probably algae.

I thought pleasant was fed by the Agua Fria?
 

Outdrive1

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Just looked it up... OD1 is a smart cookie

Lol.

Another little tidbit. SRP controls that lakes water level. We used to complain to the Rangers about the water levels because we'd camp at Dirty Shirt or farther north. They told us SRP has complete control of the level that they had no say so in the matter.
 

Crazyhippy

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Apache Lake, and google fish creek hill. I visited some friends and the drug their 26 foot boat down that hill. We met up with a motor home going up hill and us going downhill. With no room to pass. That motor home had to back up so far. It's a steep dirt road and very narrow

y2yqe4y7.jpg

u8emura2.jpg

yda8avu7.jpg

uvy8etyh.jpg

Can get to Apache the long way around and bypass the hill...

By far my favorite local lake, but I'm not a party guy, and prefer a quiet lake.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
 

2Driver

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We have boated in a lot of places and really like Bartlett. It just depends on what you like in boating. There are great beaches, great scenery, deep coves and plenty of good water for ski runs. Barlett also makes a great camping lake as there is really no access on the entire east side and all of the west side up river. Mid-lake on the western side there are limited camp grounds so it will get more people on the weekend. Way up lake, above the no wake buoys, there is plenty of lake to explore, beach and enjoy. There is no shore access to that part of the lake by land as well. If the water is up take a ride up the no wake area a few miles. If you like a wilderness setting you will like it. Plenty of Bald Eagles

It's not the "river so cal scene" and its more of a family remote boating deal. We launch at the main ramp and go up lake on the east side where it gets wide. There are a few nice sandy island beaches we set up as ski beaches for the day.
LOL yeah the lake is not as clear as the river but I can promise the water is 10 times cleaner.
:thumbsup
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cave

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Bartlett is closed.

We have a few get togethers there . One of the few lakes you can launch from shore. Great for camping..

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